Quality and Food Safety
Food safety in spices is not a department. It is the whole business. Spices are grown outdoors, dried on the ground in many origins, and handled many times before they reach a U.S. port. Our program assumes every lot could carry a hazard and is designed to find it before it finds your customer.
The Program
| Element | What We Do |
|---|---|
| Food safety management system | HACCP-based program certified to the SQF Food Safety Code at Newark and Long Beach, audited annually by a third party |
| Supplier approval | Written approval process for every supplier, including documentation review, sample testing, audits where risk warrants and ongoing scorecards; Foreign Supplier Verification Program records for every foreign supplier |
| Receiving inspection | One hundred percent of inbound lots pass through automated inspection and scheduled laboratory testing before release |
| Microbial reduction | In-house validated steam sterilization; other validated treatments arranged to customer specification; post-treatment verification testing |
| Process controls | Magnets, sifters and metal detection on every line; foreign material controls; calibrated equipment; documented changeovers |
| Allergen management | Segregated storage, dedicated equipment where practical, validated cleaning and scheduled production for allergen-containing items |
| Environmental monitoring | Zoned swabbing program for Salmonella and indicator organisms with trend analysis and corrective action |
| Pest control | Integrated pest management by a licensed contractor with documented inspections and trend review |
| Traceability and recall | Lot-level genealogy from origin to customer; mock recalls completed in under two hours |
| Training | Food safety training for every employee at hire and annually; HACCP and preventive controls qualified individuals on staff at each facility |
Hazards We Watch
Biological
- Salmonella
- Pathogenic E. coli
- Indicator organisms and total counts
- Yeast and mold
Chemical
- Pesticide residues
- Heavy metals, especially lead in turmeric and ginger
- Mycotoxins, especially aflatoxin in nutmeg, chiles and paprika
- Illegal dyes in capsicums and turmeric
- Undeclared allergens
Physical
- Stones, glass and metal
- Stems, string and packaging material
- Insect fragments and rodent evidence
Economic
- Substitution of species or origin
- Dilution with fillers, husks or spent material
- Misdeclared grade or treatment status
Learn More
- Testing and Analysis: what we test, how often and by what method
- Microbial Reduction: steam sterilization and other treatments
- Traceability: lot genealogy and recall readiness
- Certifications and Memberships
Customer quality teams are welcome to audit our facilities. Supplier questionnaires, certificates and program summaries are available by email at inquiries@spiceadmiral.com or through the Quarterdeck portal.
